Sunday, June 30, 2019

Poems And State Fair - Part Two


Poems and State Fair – Part Two

At Emmanuel Presbyterian
As I read part of my poem group about
STATE FAIR – I remembered

I rode on my bike, 2001,
Past the church the afternoon
Of the nine one one attack.

The fairgrounds seemed empty,
Early, I drew Incubator chicks.
At the stand they said I was

Not needed that day,   I should
Come in The next day.  I drew
From a bench

The vertical conveyer belt
Corn roaster, the walls of the stand,
The shelf where the radio

Was on, and was saying
Something about
An attack on New York.

I had delivered papers
For two and a half years.
I had never owned a car.

Those years, twice the winter
Snow became very deep.
I felt I was

A Bing and Grondahl Christmas
Plate, a white and blue night where I
Pushed along my cart.

After I got back that day
And listened to the radio in the
Apartment kitchen

It said there was a News Tribune
Special at the grocery.   On my bike
Past the spanish style church

Past the square gray Gothic
Pavement, grass, parking
A sentence I wrote before,

Taupe to sienna to a time
Of gold late afternoon.  It is very still
My bike moves along

For the special at the grocery.
Did I bring one or two
Around that afternoon to buildings?

Nothing moved.  All was silent.
In the special Gary Locke our governor
Would speak at a memorial

At the fairgrounds in the morning.
I got up and delivered the News Tribune
With the first story about the attack

I bathed and dressed
And attended the memorial
Before the shift I had
At the Fairgrounds stand,

Near some of the rides
Near the midway.  I brought
Condiments from the walk-in refrigerator

Washed lemons,   I washed potatoes
And and wrapped them in foil.
I carried more boxes of lemons

And potatoes in from the walk-in
Refrigerator and had a potato
At my break in the Duris black

Tee shirt with the large
Medallion with an elephant
On the back.

After two years delivering
Papers I had applied for food stamps.
From Job Source

I could get a job at the fair,
I got up the next morning
And delivered the paper.

It had more stories about the attack.
I took the bus to the fairgrounds
Again, and I washed lemons
And potatoes,  and I

Took the bus back and I listened
To the radio in the apartment kitchen.